Truth is the first casualty in war, they say.
They also talk about the fog of war.
Both cliches are true, but people who are paid to disseminate information are supposed to exercise caution.
There is an adage in journalism that goes like this: “Get it first, but first get it right.”
It is more honored now in the breech, it seems.
Everyone seems to be racing against the Internet, and, even worse, social media.
That may be why The New York Times posted a story Tuesday with a headline that read like this (Not a quote because I can’t find the original): Israel bombs Gaza hospital, Hamas says.
The story did attribute the claim, which turned out to be false, to Hamas. Journalism norms call for attributing information to “authority,” but there’s a big difference here.
1- While Hamas is an “authority,” it also has a long history of lying.
Even with the attribution, it was a terrible mistake because the Times should have known
2- The headline was atop an unverified story that was a fuse that would cause explosions all across the Arab world. And crazy protests in the U.S., and elsewhere, over a lie.
That was completely predictable because the Arab world is notably short on objective journalism and notably long on violent emotion.
Posting that story, with that headline, was deeply irresponsible. The Times got it first, but got it wrong. Some other outlets did the same.
They behaved no better than shit-for-brains U.S. Rep Rashida Tlaib, who tweeted out the lie and threatened the Democratic president. U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar said something similar.
On the radio front, Rich Zeoli on WPHT/1210-AM fumed Wednesday afternoon that the “corporate media” was buying into the lie of the hospital being bombed when the only thing bombed was a parking lot.
What?
It seemed unbelievable to me, but another journalism adage says, “Check it out.”
I messaged Zeoli and he responded that the Wall Street Journal carried a story saying what he said, and said he read it on the air. He said the story said the missile, which came from the Arab side, when it landed did not hit the hospital itself, but landed alongside and did a lot of damage.
When I tried to find that story, I found a much more recent Wall Street Journal story saying the hospital was bombed.
In reading many stories in what Zeoli calls the “corporate media” (he is employed by Audacity, not a mom and pop operation) I saw the reporting came mostly from reporters not in Gaza, and therefore were getting their info second hand.
Zeoli provided several other stories that supported his belief in the parking lot angle.
By now, it is pretty well established that Israel did not fire the missile that struck near the hospital, the explosion did not destroy the hospital, and many people apparently died. It turns out the early reporting was, once again, wrong.
One other point: In the early hours after the Oct. 7 slaughter, word circulated that 40 Jewish babies had been beheaded.
Again, what?
My mind flashed to the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, called Operation Desert Sabre, in which there were early reports that Iraqi occupiers had killed hundreds of babies in Kuwait hospitals. Hundreds of babies in a nation as small as Kuwait?
It didn’t pass the smell test, and it was later proved to be propaganda.
There has been no verification of the 40 baby massacre, but harm has been done.
Yes, babies were killed, but there was no mass beheadings, but I have seen pro-Palestinians holding posters saying, “Beheading Babies is Israeli Lies.”
I’m not sure the rumor started with Israel, but now the other side uses that false report to cast doubt on anything Israel says. [Update: The first report came from the IDF, but the government later disavowed it.]
False stories do hurt.
Boy, Stu, it rankles me to hear things like this. The rush to be “first” on social media is a bane to the ethics of journalism. This would not have flown back in the day. When Woodward and Bernstein were getting the goods on the criminal Nixon, they were forced by their editors to fact check, fact check and fact check again lest the whole exercise be blown sky high by everyone. When I was in journalism school, they pounded ethics into our heads so that it became second nature to be 100% SURE of something before it went into print. I don’t know if they still teach that way today, or if there even ARE journalism programs anymore. But I sure as fuck hope so in both cases.
I want to believe it is still taught that way. But when you get into a competitive situation, ethics may fall to the floor.
When I taught news writing, it was: “The ABCs of journalism are Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy.”
One of the things I try to do here is call balls and strikes on both sides. Facts matter.
I don’t understand what Rich Zeoli got wrong? We are in an information war. We have to be careful as we appear to be getting into yet another potential hot war. Skepticism and avoiding jumping to conclusions in these early weeks seems wise especially after the last several decades of war. You yourself acknowledge the 40 babies story was used in the past to sway popular sentiment to get support for the Kuwaiti/Iraq war. You should watch the YouTube film “to sell a war—gulf war propaganda.” The fog of war is real. Pray for peace!
He didn’t mention Zeoli and I did not say he got anything wrong. Here is the key sentence: “Zeoli provided several other stories that supported his belief in the parking lot angle.”
Go back and read it again.
The perception of Truth is all they preach. The problem with perception is it is clouded by point of view. Not one observer gets the whole truth; if clouded by sentiment, it is further skewed. Looking back over the past 10-15 years the “news” machine has started to spit out pablum and nothing of substance. Then at a later date, it produces the truth in hindsight. This is too little too late as the masses have formed their own opinion based on half-truths and refuse to see the new light through their fog of confusion. I prefer to read stories 2-5 days later and look for where the money is going, less red herrings that way.
There used to be nothing wrong with ‘truth in hindsight’ because that IS the only way you can ascertain objective facts instead of claims.
Searching for truth is an interesting concept. I’ve relied my whole life on journalists, both print and broadcast, like yourself, to get it right. I to this day pay no mind to the mostly brainless chatter that comes across social media. And I totally agree with what Rich Eichhorn referenced in a previous comment; waiting a few days will let the real truth reveal itself. Jumping to conclusions based on previously held opinions, often incorrect, is in my mind, just plain wrong, and stupid too.
The media can’t wait a few days. A few hours, yes.
How far is bad reporting from propaganda?
Propaganda is intentional. Bad reporting usually isn’t.
Thanks!
Unfortunately too many people believe what the read in the papers as
Gospel. Especially in the New York Times. It seems publish it first and then fact check. Ugh
https://babylonbee.com/news/cnn-blames-fog-of-war-for-errant-reporting…
Link doesn’t work.
“The first casualty of war is truth.” — Hiram Johnson (U.S. Senator)
How right you are :Dewey defeats Truman, in rush to get a headline.. The NYT .can effect world opinion more than any other publication with a rush to beat the competition. Bad enough we have “representatives” like Tlaib who will lie and distort the truth to perpetuate her hate..despite evidence in real time
👌
Why isn’t anyone here talking about the debacle going on with the Republicans in the House of Representatives trying to elect a leader? It would make for a good comedy if it wasn’t so damn sickening.
These maggats only care about themselves and in doing so they are giving the middle finger to us voters.
In addition why aren’t we talking about that orange-skinned POS and his trials? I swear to God I hope one of those judges locks that lying POS up for ignoring the sanctions put on him.
Well, YOU are talking about it. 😁
So far, my remarks on the debacle have been on Facebook.
Stu I should have asked why those items I mentioned are not being discussed here.
I do not like nor am I on sites like Facebook, X (Twitter), etc.
A historical figure is quoted as saying “The media is the most powerful entity on earth. “They have the power to make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent”. We should be patient and open minded when reading and absorbing information from news outlets and internet sources. We have to consider the source of information in today’s world.
Consider the source — very important. Using more than one source, important too.